Mo Yang woke up once again, finding himself in the real world. As he opened his eyes, a severe headache hit him, and everything appeared dizzy. A buzzing noise swirled around him, making him extremely uncomfortable.
“Ah! Doctor Wan, your fiancé is awake!!”
Mo Yang faintly heard a surprised voice and saw Wan Mei, clad in the timeless white coat, approaching him. She gently touched his head, but oddly, there was a slightly ominous vibe around the fellow with a black dog, as if any sudden movement would lead to immediate confinement for a thorough examination.
Mo Yang obediently allowed Wan Mei to check his head. Only when her gentle hands withdrew did he instinctively put on a slightly pleasing smile. “Um, am I alright?”
Wan Mei arched her eyebrows, looking down at him. “Fine. No turn into an imbecile or brain death. Still of practical research value.”
Mo Yang: “…”
“Cough, I was a bit excited at that time. Who would have thought the Dream World would be so shameless? Even after clearing the game, they pull a fast one at the last moment. Luckily, I reacted quickly and forcibly disconnected without using the pill you gave me. Though I did suffer some mental shock at that moment, the situation now seems alright, doesn’t it?”
Wan Mei gazed at Mo Yang without responding. However, his hand in his pocket lightly touched the cold little knife. He caressed it for a while before finally showing a faint smile. “I am genuinely determined to destroy the Dream World now.”
Mo Yang: “???”
“It’s interfering with me. For instance, all your thoughts and goals are part of the Dream World. It pays more attention to it than to me.”
Mo Yang was momentarily unsure how to respond, then thought for a moment. “Um, then will you join me in eliminating it? Time is running short. Ah! I have important news to discuss with Chief Chi Shu. We only have three months left!!”
Wan Mei raised her eyebrows. “Did the Tree Queen tell you?”
Mo Yang nodded. “Yes, we’re not fighting alone. Whether it’s Feng Zhao and the others, or Ouyang Yang, Feng Yu, and Xis with the Queen, they are all striving with their own powers against the Dream World. That’s why I couldn’t help but say those words earlier. With more allies, our chances in the final battle should be better, right?”
Wan Mei remained noncommittal.
Suddenly, a tremendous disturbance outside caught Mo Yang’s attention. “What’s happening? What’s going on outside?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Before Wan Mei could answer, a figure stormed in like a whirlwind. He lunged straight to Mo Yang’s bedside, almost stumbling and kneeling on the ground. It seemed as though he was a filial son visiting his critically ill father, his face not yet prepared as he began wailing: “Ahhh! You’re finally awake!! Heavens, you scared me and Grandpa to death! You’ve been unconscious for three days! That Dream World is just despicable, how could it throw a curveball even after the game ended? I’ve been restless these three days, fearing that once your eyes closed, they might never open again.”
Recognizing the familiar tone and chatty nature, Mo Yang croaked, “How did you come here? This should be the research institute, right? Where’s Grandpa? And how do you know what happened in the game? Don’t tell me you recklessly ventured into the Dream World! I’ll smack you silly if you did!”
Tang Mian saw Mo Yang still had some vigor left to roar at him and relaxed a bit. Then he smirked, “I did want to go in, but both Grandpa and I were like watching each other to prevent going down the wrong path, so neither of us entered.”
“But I did meet Fatty Zhou and got the scoop from him, also from Song Dui, Long Xiang, and Qi Hong bro. Fatty Zhou told me all about the situation! That Dream World is really something. And, you don’t know yet, right? It’s chaos outside now. Even though our country has deployed strong forces, they can’t completely control all the attacks and destruction. The situation is pretty bad. But our country is faring better than many others.”
He glanced around the room cautiously, realizing there were only him, Mo Yang, Wan Mei, and a female researcher studying the case, and continued, “I heard from Grandpa about the neighboring island country. Typical, right? More people and fewer resources? And because of their heavily developed gaming culture, a lot of people entered the Dream World there.”
“According to the intelligence our scouts provided, there are around twenty to thirty million people who entered the Dream World. It was fine before the chaos engulfed, with many people coexisting without much interference as long as they stayed indoors. However, after the chaos started, anyone ambitious or unwilling to be cannon fodder came out to seize various energies. It’s said to be chaotic and bloody.”
Tang Mian’s voice lowered as he continued, “Grandpa mentioned they might ruin their own country within ten days, completely draining it of life. Then the victors would seek energy in other continents. Our country across the sea is the most likely target.”
Mo Yang, hearing this, furrowed his brow tightly.
He knew about the chaotic consumption.
The Tree Queen had told him that it was a state where the Dream World’s guides used players as conduits, absorbing any energy they could find through their mental powers or ingestion. This was the ultimate invasion state of the Dream World, its speed of consumption determined by the number of players in the Dream World and the number controlled entirely by the guides.
It was rumored that the fastest chaotic consumption could devour an entire planet’s vitality within three days.
Thinking of this, Mo Yang instinctively wanted to get out of bed and check the situation outside. But as he moved to lift the covers, Wan Mei’s seemingly pale yet surprisingly forceful hand promptly pushed him back.
“Once the Ninth Military Research Institute’s defenses are fully activated, they won’t be breached by anyone unless massive destructive or atomic weapons are deployed.”
Mo Yang was taken aback. “Has it reached this point already?”
Then, a knock sounded, and the Chief of Staff, Chi Shu, whom Mo Yang had been eager to meet earlier, stood there again in his sharp military uniform.
“I heard you’ve woken up. I believe you might have some crucial information to share with us, especially regarding the current chaos and consumption,” Chi Shu said.
Mo Yang, upon seeing Chi Shu, dismissed thoughts about the situation outside. He glanced around the room and finally settled his gaze on the female researcher who hadn’t uttered a word after the initial outcry.
The researcher softly said, “I’ll step out. If there’s anything, please use the button on the bedside. I’ll come in.”
With that, she left, and Mo Yang turned to Chi Shu. “Please, take a seat. I do have information to relay. It’s about the final battle that will determine the survival or demise of humanity.”
Chi Shu’s already stern countenance became even more grave. Step by step, he approached Mo Yang’s bedside, about to sit down, when suddenly, the terrified scream of the female researcher echoed from outside.
“Who are you?! I haven’t seen you before—ah!”
Before she could finish her questioning, a faint sound of a silenced gun followed, and she collapsed to the floor. Then, a man wearing a mask and a white coat, seemingly no different from the institute’s researchers, appeared at Mo Yang’s door. His eyes scanned the room, and upon seeing Wan Mei, Mo Yang, and Chi Shu, he smiled as if he’d caught his prey. He took something out of his pocket and hurled it toward Mo Yang’s bed, laughing loudly.
“No one can destroy the Dream World!! You’re all enemies!!”
However, his laughter abruptly stopped; the explosive he anticipated, which could have blown up the entire room, didn’t detonate. He widened his eyes, searching for the object he threw, but then felt a sharp pain in his neck, losing consciousness. At this moment, Tang Mian, who had caught the delicately crafted box-like explosive, froze in place, petrified.
He dared not move a muscle, his voice trembling as he stuttered, “Y-Yu…Yu Tou! Come quickly and save me…I-I feel terrible right now, I think it’s going to explode…”
Mo Yang was taken aback by the sudden turn of events, but he quickly reacted, jumping off the bed and reaching for the explosive from Tang Mian’s hands. However, Chi Shu grabbed his hand.
Chi Shu, wearing white gloves, exerted strong force: “I don’t know how your friend got hold of this, but I strongly advise against passing this explosive around. It’s a new type that detonates upon a certain level of vibration. Even the slightest movement might set it off, and unfortunately, it’s the latest military research.”
Tang Mian’s face turned green.
Shortly after, five or six people rushed into the special ward underground the institute. Mo Yang raised an eyebrow upon seeing them—they were unexpectedly familiar faces.
Long Xiang greeted Mo Yang first and then approached Tang Mian with a bespectacled military personnel. After studying the object in Tang Mian’s hand, Long Xiang… simply lifted him up.
“The guy beside me is an expert. He said there are only two possibilities if you managed to catch this thing without setting it off. Either the internal components malfunctioned, rendering it inert, or you’re incredibly lucky. To be safe, I’ll take you to a specific spot to dispose of this. Just relax, don’t walk, and protect what’s in your hands.”
Tang Mian: “…” I feel like you’re toying with my life here. Even if I’m a lucky person, isn’t this a bit too much? Do you know how rare it is to find someone with such luck? I am the chosen one, gathering the essence of the entire country!
Mo Yang, observing Tang Mian’s expression, coughed softly. “Soup Noodles, if it’s not convenient, pick someone you’re comfortable with to carry you.” At least grant the lucky man some choice.
Tang Mian rolled his eyes skyward dramatically. Nevertheless, he didn’t choose Long Xiang but opted for another soldier with a scarred face who looked more intimidating.
Long Xiang: “…” I’m this awesome, yet you won’t let me carry you?!
After they left, Mo Yang didn’t converse with Chi Shu. He quietly waited in the room. Around ten minutes later, a deafening blast reverberated from outside. He breathed a sigh of relief, but his face remained grim.
Had Tang Mian not miraculously appeared and caught that bomb-like object like a toy, forget about destroying the Dream World and killing the mother planet; he would have turned to ash right there.
Dragon Soar and the soldiers, who witnessed the explosion up close and were almost stunned despite being prepared, turned their horrified gazes toward Tang Mian.
The specialist pushed up his glasses and concluded, “So, your luck is truly exceptional.” Personally, he leaned toward the first theory; he couldn’t believe someone could catch the bomb without triggering its mechanism. Yet, reality proved otherwise. Then, the military weapons expert suddenly spoke to Tang Mian, “Can we offer you a high-paying job as our military weapons tester? Rest assured, it’s usually not dangerous.”
Tang Mian promptly declined, “No, my goal is to live a carefree life until death as a wealthy second-generation. Thank you.”
At this moment, Mo Yang finally divulged the information the Tree Queen had entrusted him with to Chi Shu.
“Though I don’t know the current situation outside, with someone infiltrating the institute and killing people, I’m not optimistic. Our time is running out. In a month, during the second global game in the Dream World, we must destroy the mother planet. The Earth and humanity can’t wait for three months. Delaying further, even if we eventually win, will lead to a shattered world where no one survives.”
Chi Shu closed his eyes. He had already anticipated the worst outcome. Until today, every method he had envisioned led to an inevitable, disastrous end. For three days straight, he hadn’t slept, almost driven mad while searching for a breakthrough.
Now, the pivotal point had finally presented itself to him.
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